Jacoby's Storehouse

While everyone else during Arcata’s Gold Rush boom years built their homes and businesses out of wood, August Jacoby—a prominent merchant—built his new storehouse on the Arcata Plaza out of local brick and stone, with a clay and concrete roof. When it was completed in 1857, Jacoby’s Storehouse was the only fireproof structure in Humboldt County, and was a source of pride to the citizens of Arcata. His foresight was valuable—in 1875 a fire swept around the Plaza and destroyed dozens of businesses, but left the storehouse untouched. 

Today, the fully restored Jacoby’s Storehouse contains a bank, several restaurants, retail shops and offices. The building is a California State Historic Landmark, the plaque for which draws attention to the original, two-foot thick stonewall.